The Oral Health Foundation is encouraging people to drink water, as a new study highlights the perils of fizzy pop.

New research has linked the consumption of fizzy drinks to an elevated risk of premature death, with those who drink two servings of pop per day facing a higher risk of heart disease, strokes and bowel conditions.

The study, which analysed data collected from over 450,000 people across Europe, investigated the impact of drinking sugary drinks.

Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation, suggested that the findings of the study, which focused on adults living in France, the UK, and Spain, were a “stark reminder” of the detrimental impact of a sugary diet. Describing the research as a “frightening eye-opener,” Dr Carter said that the study highlighted the implications of consuming too much sugar on a regular basis, a problem, which is commonplace today.

Increasing sugar consumption is connected with rising obesity rates, higher rates of types 2 diabetes and an alarming number of cases of dental decay. Recent figures from Public Health England suggest that the average 10-year-old child in England has already consumed the equivalent of 18 years’ worth of sugar.

In response to the publication of the findings, the charity is now encouraging people to ditch fizzy drinks in favour of water. Cutting out pop is a simple means of lowering sugar intake and improving dental and general health.